Ernest joseph mead



N0. 607,445. Patented .luly I9, |898. E. l. MEAD.

VOTING MACHINE.

(Application filed Aug. 4, 1897.)

(No Model.)

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1 Uwrrnio S'rarns Pnrnnr @risica ERNEST JOSEPH MEAD, OF BRIDGETOVN, ENGLAND.

VOTINGHMACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 607,445, dated July 19, 1898.

Application tiled August 4, 1897. Serial No. 647,088. (No model.)

T0 all whom, t Wray concern.-

Be it known that I, ERNEST JOSEPH MEAD, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at Ellerslie, Bridgetown,Totness,in the county of Devon, England, have invented certain new anduse'fulImprovements inVotinglllachines, of which the followin is a'full and complete specification, such as will enable those skilled in the art to'which it appertains to make and use the same.

rlhis invention relates to voting-machines 5 and the object thereof is toA provide an improved machine of this class which is simple in construction and operation and which comprises a box or casing, a plurality of registering devices, and a level' by which said registering devices are operated.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specilication, of which the accompanying drawings form a part, in which- Figure 1 is a front View of my improved voting-machine; Fig. 2, a plan view thereof with the top removed; Fig. 3, a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2, and Fig. l a section on the line 4 4L of Eig. 2.

ln the drawings forming part of this specilication the separate parts of my improve-` front 6, in the upper portion of which is formed a transverse slot 7, which is provided at each end with downwardlydirecte l extensions 3.

Immediately below the extensions 8 are placed name-plates 9, two of which are shown,

said name-plates being arrangedtransversely of the front of the box orcasing, and below the name-plates is a transverse opening 10, which is closed by a hinged door 11, in which are formed two openings 12, through which the registering devices may be seen.

l also provide a lever 13, which is connected with the back 14 of the box or casing 5 at the vertical center thereof and below the transverse center by means of a ballsand-socket joint, as shown at 15, and this lever is bent upwardly at 16 and provided on the front side thereof with a-forwardly-directed lug or projection 17, and at the upper end of the upwardly-curved portion 1S of said lever is a forwardly-directed lug or projection 19, and the end of said lever above the lug or projection 19 is bent outwardly to form an arm 20, which passes through the slot 7 in the front of the casing and is provided with a knob or handle 21.

The lever 13 is connected with the top of the box or casing by a contractile spring 22, and mounted transversely of the side or front of the box or casing below the slot 7 and across the lower ends of the downwardly-directed extensions S thereof is a sliding bar 23, and below the said sliding bar and near the opposite ends thereof are pins 24, on which are placed tubular sleeves 25, said sleeves being each provided at l[he end thereof adjacent to the front plate 6 of the box or casing with an arm 26, which projects upwardly between the sliding bar 23 and the front of t-he box or casing, and each of said sleeves being also provided at its inner end with an arm 27, which projects upwardlyon the inner side of said sliding bar,'said arms 26 and 27 being arranged `to project at a suitable relative angle.

The sliding bar 23 is also provided with two pins 2S, in connection with which the arms 26 operate, and said bar is also provided with two hinged plates 29, which are held normally in the position shown in Fig. 4; and project inwardly from the sliding bar 23, and said plates are adapted to be turned upwardly over said sliding bar by the lug or projection 19 on the lever 13 and to dropl back into the position shown in Fig. et by gravity.

The sliding bar 23 is provided at one end thereof with an upwardly-directed arm 30 and with an inwardly-directed pin 3l at the lower end thereof, and secured to the top of the box or casing is a bell or gong 32, adjacent to which is suspended a pivoted hanger 33, which IOO ing 12 in the bar 11 are brackets 3S, each set of which supports a shaif t Si), as shown lin Figs. 2, E3, and -i. These shafts are each provided with registry-wheels l0, which are prcterably four in number and which represent units, tens, hundreds, and thousands. 'lhe inner wheel of each set is the units-wheel and is provided with a ratchet-hub #171. Mounted on the shaft Si) adjacent thereto is a ratehetarm 12, which is provided at its free end with an angular extension Lt3, in which is formed a slot ift. The ratchet-arm is provided with a pivoted pawl 4:5, which operates in connection with theratchet-hub 51.1 on the inner registry-wheel Li0.

rlhe outwardly-directed lug or projection 19 on the lever 13 projects slightlybeyond or in front oi the vertical plane ofthe inner edge olf the pivoted plates 20, and the hanger 33 extends downwardly slightly below the upwardly-directed arm $30 of the sliding bar 223. The operation will be readily understood from the foregoing description when taken in conncetion with the accompanying drawings and the following statement thereof.

Supposing the parts to be in the position shown in drawings, the names ot the candidates are placed on the name-plates i), and l'or purposes oi' description l have shown these name-plates as provided with the names of lrownandSmith. Ifnowavoterdesires to vote for lrownf the lever 13 is moved to the left of the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 by means of the knob orhandle 21, and said lever is depressed into the dowunvardly-directed extension 8 at the left end of the slot 7. This operation forces downwardly the eorrespending arm 27 of the sleeves 25, and the bar 23 is moved to the right by means of the arm 2G of the sleeve 25 until the adjacent plate 2) comes even with said extension 8 of the slot 7, and at this time the lug or projection 1f) passes below the said plate 20, and the projection 17 on the lever13 enters the slot lli-1in. the ratchet-arm ft2 and depresses said arm, and the pawl -15 operates to turn the units registry-wheel through one point, and this registers one vote. r1`he spring 22, as soon as the lever 21 is released, raises said lever into the upper part of the downwardly-directed. extension S ol' the slot 7, and in this opera tion the lug or projection 1t) turns thehinged. plate 2.) upwardly, and said hinged plate immediately drops back into the position shown. in Fig. l, and. the lever cannotbe again operated or lSrown cannot receive another vote until lthe shalft 35 ol.' the arm 3U has been operated by a key7 so as to l'oree the slidingbar 2f1baekwardly into the position shown in Fig. 3, which is doneby means ot the arm 230 striking the pin 31 on said sliding bar.

rFhe movement oi the slidingl bar 23 to the right, as above described, causes the upwardly directed arm 3) at the end thereof to strike the lower end of the lutnger 3S, which moves said hanger outwardly until the arm 30 passes beneath. the same, when the hanger will drop back into the position shown in Fig. 23 and will operate the gong or bell 32, and this operation of the bell orgong 232 occurs each time that a vote is registered, and in the backward movement of the bar 2B to the lett the arm 30 will strike the lower end of the hanger 3S and be locked thereby, and the operation of the shaft 35 of the pivoted arm 3G by means ot a key, as hereinbetore described, causes the projection 237 ot said arm to move the hanger $33 outwardly, so that the arm Si) oi' the har 23 will pass thereunder, and at the saine time causes the arm 3G to force the baril-f3 to the lel't, as hereinbe'fore described.

1Whenever it is desired to casta vote tor S1nitl1thelever13 is moved to the right and depressed in the downwardly-direeted enten,- sion S, at the right end of the slot 7, `in the same manner as hereinhefore described, and this operation also operates the :nljaeentarms 27 and 2G, as hcreinbefore described, to move the sliding bar 223 to the right, and the lever 13 operates the corresponding ratchet-arm L'-2, and said arm operates the correspoiuling registering apparatus.

The wheels L10 of the registering apparatus may be of any desired lform and construction, and it will be understood that each time the units-wheel makes one complete revolution the wheel which represents tens, adjacent thereto, moves through one point, and so on, to the wheel which represents thousainls, and each of the registering apparatus herein de scribed is intended to register ien thousalnl votes.

My improved voting-machine is simple in. construction and operation and perfectly adapted to accomplish the result forwhichit is intended, and itwill be apparent that changes in and modifications oi.' the construe tion herein described may be Ymade without departing from the spirit olf my invention or sacrificing its advantages. The sliding bnr 23 maybe supported in any desired manuel', and the registry apparatus may, as hereinbe fore stated, be oit any desired lorm and construction, the only object in this coninnation being to provide a registry apparatus eonsisting of a plurality ol' wheels which are adapted to operate in the manner described and which are designed to be operated by a ratchet-amm as 4:2, operating in connection with a pivoted lever, as 12.3. i

Having fully described Amy invention, l cla-im as new and desire to secure by l'letters latent 1. A voting-machine comprising a boxV or casing, a transverse slot Iornuid in the l'ront thereof and provided at each end with a d own,- wardly-directed. extension, a .renistry apparatus mounted beneath each. oi' saidv downwardly-directcd extensions, and consisting oi.' a plurality et registry wheels which are adapted to be operated by an arm mounted on the shaft on whichsaid wheelsaremountN ed, a s pring-operated lever pivotally conf IOO TIO

nected with the back of the box or casing, and provided with an arm Which projects through said transverse slot, said lever being also provided With an upwardly-directed portion, at the bottom of which is a forwardlydirected projection which is adapted to operate said arms, and at the upper part of which is a forwardly-directed shoulder or projection, a sliding bar mounted transversely of the doWnWardly-directed extensions of said transverse slot, and devices which operate in connection With said sliding bar, and which are adapted to be operated by the shoulder or projection formed on said lever for moving said sliding bar, substantially as shown and described.

2. A voting-machine comprising a box or casing7 a transverse slot formed in the front thereof and provided at each end with a downwardly-directed extension, a registry apparatus mounted beneath each of said doWnwardly-directed extensions, and consisting of a plurality7 of registry-Wheels Which are adapted to be operated by an arm mounted on the shaft on which said Wheels are mounted, a spring-operated lever pivotally connected with the back of the box or casin g, and provided With an arm which projects through said transverse slot, said lever being also provided With an upwardly-directed portion, at the bottom of which is a forwardly-directed projection which is adapted to operate said arms, and at the upper part of which is a forwardly-directed shoulder or projection, a sliding bar mounted transversely of the downwardly-directed extensions of said transverse slot, and devices which operate in connection with said sliding bar, and which are adapted to be operated by the shoulder or projection formed on said lever for moving said sliding bar, said sliding bar being also provided With hinged plates in connection with which said shoulder orprojection operates, substantially as shown and described.

3. A voting-machine comprising a box or casing, a transverse slot formed in the front thereof and provided at each end With a downwardly-directed extension, a registry apparatus mounted beneath each of said downwardly-directed extensions, and consisting of a plurality of registry-Wheels which are adapted to be operated by an arm mounted on the shaft on Which said Wheels are mounted, a spring-operated lever pivotally connected with the back of the box or casing, and provided with an arm Which projects through said transverse slot, said lever being also provided with an upwardly-directed portion, at the bottom of which is a forwardly-directed .pro-.

j ection which is adapted to operate said arms, and at'the upper part of which is a forwardlydirected shoulder or projection, a sliding bar mounted transversely of the downwardly-directed extensions of said transverse slot, and devices which operate in connection with said sliding bar, and which are adapted to be operated by the shoulder or projection formed on said lever for moving said sliding bar, said sliding bar being also provided with hinged plates in connection with which said shoulder or projection operates, and the said casing being provided with a bell or gong which is adapted to be operated by said sliding bar, substantially as shown and described.

et. A voting-machine comprising a box or easin g in the front of which is formed atrans verse slot, provided at each end with a downwardly-directed extension, a registry apparatus mounted beneath each of said downwardly-directed extensions, and consisting of a plurality of registry-Wheels mounted on a shaft Which is also provided with an arm by which said registryivheels are operated, a lever pivotally connected with the back of the casing, and provided With an arm which projects through said slot, a sliding bar mounted Within the casing and transversely of the downwardly-directed extensions of said trans verse slot, and devices whereby said lever is adapted to operate said registry apparatus and said sliding bar, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony .that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name, in pres ence of the subscribing Witnesses, this 23d day of July, 1897.

ERNEST JOSEPH MEAD.

Witnesses:

NICHOLAS ADAMs, CHARLns HENRY WIDGER.. 

